The present invention relates generally to enclosures for electronic devices, and in particular enclosures including electrical connectors such as a receptacle connector for receiving an audio connector or plug.
Many electronic devices include electrical connectors that receive data and, in some cases, receive and provide power and data. These electrical connectors are typically receptacle connectors and are designed to receive a male plug connector. The male plug connector may be on the end of a cable or part of an accessory, such as a docking station or stereo receiver. The plug connector may plug into the receptacle connector, thereby forming one or more conductive paths for signals and/or power.
Receptacle connectors often have a shell that surrounds and provides mechanical support for contacts of the receptacle connector. Receptacle connector shells are typically made from a dielectric material such as plastics. The contacts may be arranged to mate with corresponding contacts on the plug connector, e.g., an audio plug, to form portions of electrical paths between devices.
These receptacle connectors, e.g., audio jacks, are often manufactured separately from the enclosure and sometimes by a manufacturer different than the enclosure manufacturer. These off-the-shelf receptacle connectors may be attached with screws or otherwise fixed to an enclosure of an electronic device. Some receptacle connectors are customized for use within a specific electronic device or a group of electronic devices. These custom receptacle connectors may also be manufactured separately from the enclosure and inserted into the enclosure during the assembly process of the electronic device.
As electronic devices continue to become smaller and thinner, the housing of an off-the-shelf or custom receptacle connector may take up an undesirably high percentage of the overall limited internal space within the enclosure and/or be a limit on how thin the enclosure can be made.